Tag Archives: Community

Pretty HAPPY is how I felt when Adam said YES to doing an interview with me!

I met Adam some years ago through music. He even adopted a real live monkey for me on my birthday, one year! (Species Adoptions). He seems to be another one of those friends of mine who has his hands in many different projects so….

ADAM: When the Rick Nelson tributes were released I wanted to jump right into a new project that would bring in new artists that were not necessarily Rick Nelson fans. I’ve always been a Creedence Clearwater Revival fan, and from discussions with several artists, it was clear that I was not alone. I started the CCR tribute in 2014 but due to some real-life delays I had to put it aside for a while. I started the ball rolling again in January 2017, aiming for an October 2017 release. It is called Commotion: A Tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival.

LM: Are you working with a label or are you putting this out yourself?

ADAM: As with all of my releases I will be self-releasing this project. That said, I’m not doing it all by myself. Several of the artists are helping me promote it. I have a good group of people helping me out this time around.

LM: Have the compilations you’ve put out before done what you wanted them to do? Why? or Why not?

ADAM: They have, yes. I mean, I’m not taking on any of these projects to make money. It’s about getting the music out there for people to enjoy. For some artists it’s the opportunity to be on a published CD and being heard by a whole new audience. Similar to what I do each week with Pop Garden Radio, the CDs share the great indie artists for all to hear and enjoy.

LM: What are you hoping this latest CCR compilation will do and what might YOU do differently this time? (if anything)

ADAM: I’ve learned a lesson in the past that these projects take time and should not be rushed. I also now know that it’s OK to accept help from others. It’s a group effort, under the Pop Garden Radio Presents banner. I want the CCR disc to reach a wider audience this time around. The artists are all excited about it and I am certain that people will really dig what we have done

ADAM: Since the beginning, back in 2005, I have thought of the show as me in my living room, hanging out with friends, sharing the songs that I am into. The show still has that same feel as it did way back when I first loved music. I grew up around Country Music, and musicians. It’s always been in my life. I can remember listening to my Dad playing guitar all night and how much I loved every second of that.

By having many friends who are musicians and artists, I get the privilege and joy of sharing their music with the listening audience. It’s an honor, really. It will always touch my heart when I get to air new music on the show. Very recently an artist from L.A. was visiting Miami, FL, which is about 3 hours from me. She drove all the way up from Miami to be interviewed and to play a few songs and head right back to Miami. It blows my mind that someone would do that just for the show.

LM: Is there an online “live” chat available during your shows that we can share with out readers?

ADAM: I chose songs that feel good and move me in some way. They don’t always have to have that jangle, they just have to feel good. I’m not sure if that makes any sense at all. When a song moves me, I’ll play it.

LM: Where do you hope to be in 5 years with radio and the music you release?

ADAM: In 5 years I would be happy to still be on WMEL sharing the music that I love. Maybe I could be on the air more than just the one night a week.

LM: Do you have plans for any more PGR on the Rock on the Road festivals/shows? Why or Why not?

ADAM: My day job has changed in recent years so I haven’t had the opportunity to have another Rock on the Road show in a while. I miss it. Those shows were a lot of fun for everyone. I do get asked frequently when the next one is though. Michael Slawter (Heyday Guitars) and John Borack (Popdudes) were both a great help with those shows, and they are both still on my side.

LM: What are you most excited about in the music world right now? (bands, the music industry, upcoming festivals, an upcoming promotion on the station, upcoming projects, etc).

ADAM: Oh goodness, there seems to always be something new coming out. Each year someone new pops up. This year I’ve already been introduced to artists like Sean Solo, Irene Pena and Dieselle May and I look forward to hearing more from them.

LM: Are you currently looking for more artists and bands to play on your show? If so, where can musician’s send their music? Also, what about comedy music/artists?

LM: You’ve done your own creative projects in the past, like Ruin the Rain (which I hear is coming soon to PGR’s Bandcamp page) along with some of your own original comedy. Any plans to do more of either in the near future?

ADAM: I’m working on my next comedy CD right now, also slated for an October 2017 release. It is called Mullet Over.

This comedy album will be something different from my last comedy albums. In addition to individual tracks featuring the characters that people have come to expect from me, there will be a full suite entitled Sowbelly City. Side two, if you will. The suite will feature Uncle Red Chester and his co-horts with a common plotline.

LM: …and other original music?

ADAM: I’ll have a song on the Creedence project as well. Just this week, Ruin the Rain started collaborating on new music. It’s the first time since 2005, actually. I’m very excited about that as I have really missed those guys.

LM: Who to you, is your targeted audience right now? Are you working on growing your audience? If so, what do you have in mind?

ADAM: I get asked this often. I don’t know what my target audience is. I mean, I want people with good taste in music and a sense of humor to be able to find something in the show. They could be 8 or 80, doesn’t matter to me, as long as they enjoy what I am presenting to them.

LM: Do you also listen to radio shows outside of your own?

ADAM: I listen to a lot of country music and oldies, and occasionally I will listen to the Beatles channel on XM.

LM: HOW and WHERE do YOU discover new music?

ADAM: Social media is great for this. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are all great sources. Noisetrade is another wonderful resource. Bandcamp is a good too and you can purchase the music directly from the artist.

AND NOW….FOR THE LAST AND MOST MAGICAL QUESTION OF ALL…..

LM: What do LOVE to do for fun and what is your favorite way to relax?

ADAM: Walt Disney World is my oasis. It’s my escape, my relaxation time. I’ve had many conversations with artists to and from the parks. Heck, not only have I been interviewed on other radio stations from Magic Kingdom, my first telephone interview with my current job was done on the dock at Tom Sawyer Island.

The Co​-​Op Communique Volume Three by Various Artists is OUT NOW and FREE!!!

So I decided to catch up with my music friend Dw. Dunphy and find out what’s been going on in his musical world. Funny, how I’ve known him for a while now, and yet I’ve never really understood what his actual mission was-at least as far as The Co-Op Community Facebook page that he’s created. What is this community all about?

Like me, he has a LOT going on! Let’s see how well we can clarify all the great work he’s doing!

But first, let me just clarify something with you, the reader. Notice the co (lower case o) and then the Op (uppercase O) resulting in Co-Op. Cool! Now let’s move forward to the man himself-Dw. Dunphy!

First and foremost, I hope people will find a place where they are understood. One of the peculiarities about creative individuals is that we often create compulsively. We don’t have strict regimens about it. If anything, our compulsions mess up other regimens. So I hope that being a part of the Co-Op means that you don’t have to explain that.

Second, I hope the group allows people to collaborate. The page should be more than just an outlet for musicians, but also for writers, illustrators…origami folders. How brilliant would it be if a traditional painter connected with an origami folder and did something.

Finally, I want people to promote their work. So often on these Facebook pages there’s an overarching dictum about it being okay to talk about what you ate for lunch, but not about what you make or do. Seems kind of backward that we would celebrate the mundane things but not the things that express talent and effort. Therefore — so long as it is not incredibly offensive or comes from a place of hate & intolerance — the Co-Op welcomes your creativity and wants you to talk about it.

B. What is it you hope will keep the Co-Op community coming back?

The idea that this is a real community, that you should be inspired by stopping by, and — I hate to use the word “empowered” because it’s so overused to the point of cliche…how about — emboldened to do your own thing and be proud of it and to show it off. I think that would give people a reason to come back.

Yes. The Communique is an annual collection. I hope that in future installments it can be expanded to include a PDF booklet about the musicians, but also include visual contributions. That would continue to push the arts community aspect forward.

2) How would you LOVE to see the Co-Op community “participating” more on the community page? Has it been as active as you’ve wanted it to be, up to this point?

Collaboration and the freedom to take a bit of ownership of it. Frankly, there’s only one rule that I hold as far as the page goes. It’s pretty simple. “Don’t be a jerk.” Show each other some respect and support. Definitely collaborate, strike up conversations. But if you’re there to stir up trouble that is the one thing that will cause someone to be ejected. And frankly, there are plenty of places to be a jerk on the Internet, and not so many where you can express your creativity. So I want to see participation, interaction, and hopefully lots of collaboration.

3) You are also a label for artists but you don’t necessarily “sign” artists, right? What is your role, as a record label?

I started making music a long time ago but found it incredibly hard to stay motivated because it often felt like there was no audience. Or rather, that support system that said, “You’re onto something here, keep going” wasn’t in place, so there was often a struggle involved with staying motivated. Nothing is as deflating as working on something for months and months, and then you drop it into the world, and the response is the same as if you’ve done nothing at all.

So my primary goal with the Co-Op, the label (Introverse Media), and all the efforts that surround them is to be that megaphone that shouts out, “You should see/hear/read this!”

Although I’ve run Introverse for more than a decade, it’s been only for my own purposes but that might change soon. The fact is that I’m doing this on a shoestring, financially. I’m hoping to scale up so that my ability to be more of a help to everyone is that much greater. There are opportunities. I think that there’s going to be a genuine need to support the arts independently, and very soon. I’ll keep this from getting political in either respect, but suffice it to say that the days of government-funded arts is probably over. I’m hoping that independent concerns like mine can fill the void and I’ll be able to work with patrons who can help grow this.

That’s another thing about the Co-Op Communique. I don’t charge artists to be included. I know of other annual compilations that do, and I know why. There’s a certain amount of overhead involved, and maybe that’s necessary to carry forward the final product. But I feel very ambivalent about taking money from artists, and generally refuse. You spend months writing a song. That’s a valuable-enough contribution. To have to pay to get it heard — that just rubs me the wrong way.

In lieu of money, I strenuously encourage the people involved with the Co-Op to help promote. Doesn’t have to be paid either, and I don’t want people going out-of-pocket anyway. Using one’s social media to connect their fanbase(s) with the compilation, and expose them to new artists and songs, that’s pretty effective too. Spread the hashtag #CoOpCommunique like crazy. Word-of-mouth is very effective!

4) What are the methods you are currently using to help promote the artists you support?

I will put out a press release upon the compilation’s release — a paid release with good reach into the media. I also will pay for social media ads and, in fact, have been promoting Co-Op 3 for more than a month now, even though it doesn’t come out until the end of May. That will continue.

Available May 26, 2017

Once it does come out, not only will I be promoting each song and artist on Volume 3, I’ll be doing the same for the artists on Volume 2 (which presently is the combined Vols. 1 & 2 on Bandcamp). That’s another thing. I’ve structured this so that once you’re in, I won’t forget you come the next time around. I hope to give each Co-Op Communique volume as much spotlight as the previous one. There are ways to accomplish this. You can do it if you really want to.

And this promotion will continue well after the initial release occurs. I think that’s what people have appreciated most. I get emails back saying, “Thank you for continuing to back me. It’s been 9 months since this came out and you’re still tweeting out my song and spreading the links to my CD Baby and Bandcamp pages.” I think that’s what means the most to artists, that they haven’t been forgotten. That incentivizes continued work and effort.

5) As you continue your work on The Co-Op Communique Volume 3, what do you hope will happen, that didn’t happen with the last volumes….or do you feel the last 2 volumes were successful in reaching people and promoting the artists?

It’s a steady process. You do have to establish a name and identity for the overall concept. But like I said before, the folks who contributed to Vols. 1 and 2 will get continued push when Volume 3 launches, and it is my intention to funnel that rising tide that lifts all the boats.

As far as the success rate…sure, I would love to be able to talk about this on a larger stage. And I will talk about this to anyone who will speak to me on it! But there is a growth pattern that has to occur. People are reticent to jump into things without a track record to go on, both for producers and consumers. The task is to keep it up and keep pushing forward. I will insist that those who contributed in the first round continue to get heard and seen by the third, fourth and fifth round. I think this, too, is something that differentiates the Co-Op Communique. I don’t want to leave anyone behind.

6) Besides for promoting artists and their musical recordings, what else do find yourself promoting (art, theater, other arts…)

I’m a Senior Editor at the website Popdose.com. We cover everything, but we have a heavy focus on new and independent artists. That’s always encouraged by the Editor-In-Chief Jeff Giles. I don’t tend to promote myself there, but I have run reviews of artists who appear on the Co-Op Communique. I’ve also run interviews with artists who do other things. For instance: musician Dan Pavelich also has a comic strip called Just Say Uncle. I’ve covered both his music and the comic strip. Popdose has covered releases from the label Curry Cuts and artists like Brandon Schott. It’s all about pushing creativity forward, I suppose.

7) What else are you enthusiastically working on, as far as the Co-Op Community page goes?

Everything — within reason. My only rule in that is to be respectful and play nice, but by all means, play.

You are a musician yourself. Can you tell us more about the music you write and record?

I come from a 60s-70s pop and prog rock background. A lot of listening to Beatles, ELO, Yes, Rush, The Cars, Pink Floyd…so all of that tends to get filtered into what I do.

What is your musical background? (Bands, professional lessons, etc…)

I’m self-taught, but that’s kind of facetious, really. My grandfather always had instruments around and played almost everything. My parents both loved music and surrounded the kids with it. My sister had an outsized influence there. While kids my age (at that time) were listening to “kiddie records,” we were listening at least ten, fifteen years beyond that.

I’ve been in a couple of loose collaborations and was a part of an experimental unit called Nightmare Variations. I’d like to play more in a group setting but, primarily, I’m a one-man band in a DIY setting.

How long have you been creating, playing and performing music, on a professional level?

Since the mid-90s. Lots and lots of cassette releases. Having a graphic arts background as well, I was able to package them up and do okay in that respect. I wasn’t necessarily punk, but I had a bit of that renegade mentality. That’s really how Introverse started (and yes, that’s also an allusion to a bit of an introverted personality…but I do try!)

What instruments do you play?

Keyboard, guitars, a bit of percussion. I like doing multiple vocal harmony parts. I think if you can nail the perfect multi-layered vocal harmonies, there’s nothing better than that.

Do you do your own recordings, or do you record somewhere else?

It’s all me, at home with my modest computer rig. That’s one of the best things about the age we live in. It can be done, and the only limitation is your determination to do it.

That said, I’d love to see Abbey Road Studios. I’d love to see Real World Studios. I’m an idealist, but I’m not crazy! 🙂

Do you collaborate (or have you before) with others?

I’ll collaborate anywhere that I’m welcome to. Preferably, I’d collaborate with people I know and have a good rapport with, and are okay with my personal “isms.” If you are mainly a solo artist, you do pick up traits in process, so I like to work with folks who get that about me. I don’t really have much call to collaborate, but I’m definitely open to it.

After searching for your music, I came up with these main sites. Can anyone purchase your music from them at this time?

Most are available. A couple aren’t, and on earlier releases you can definitely hear a learning curve taking place. You are your own harshest critic, but I think I do well, and I’ve made several albums I’m really proud of. I haven’t done too badly as a “bedroom pop” pioneer!

Currently, I’m putting everything I’ve got into Co-Op 3. We’ll see what progresses at the end of the year. I definitely want to devote my energy to Co-Op 3 though.

Apart from that, I’m going to have a few paintings and drawings hung at a local arts community center here in New Jersey around July, so I’m excited about that.

Any live shows/events scheduled? (even if it’s via internet).

Nothing live slated for now. The one-man band thing is an impediment, but I have considered finding a couple of folks in the area who might want to do some acoustic trio sort of thing, mostly just for fun, maybe just show up at a park and do some songs…annoy some deer, that kind of thing.

The Hour Zero, featuring Lisa Mychols and Tom Richards have now released 2 songs: “See You Again” and “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone” that are receiving nice feed back and pretty nice airplay (THANK YOU). We are hoping as we move forward, to get more acquainted with our amazing music scene again. In fact, that is the point of the Fabulous Playground.

We’ve had a pretty great month delving in to the subjects of mindfulness, healing the self and conscious Parenting. Our guests were absolutely amazing this month! You can find these blab conversations and more on the Fabulous Playground Youtube Channel or you can stay updated and inspired each week by following the Angie & Elsie blabs Facebook page.

We’ve also been making improvements on our recent Mychols & Friends musical blabs, where we’ve so far touched on artists and bands like The Church, David Bowie, Early MTV, Tiki-Surf, and The Hollies. These blabs are always found on our Fabulous Playground Channel at Youtube.com and you are always welcome to join in and actually participate with either a song (a cover or original) or just a simple share in to the discussion.

To really get the word out to our friends about these blabs, we are starting to make some “fun” invitational videos that we plan to post on Lisa Mychols’ Facebook page.

Continuing on, we hope to see this community continue to grow with more activity from YOU!